How many VM powered RR's still running.

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Gazbo

Gazbo

Well-Known Member
Posts
3,949
Location
Cooktown, North Queensland, Australia.
Hi I do not usually post in this section of the forum, but I am interested to know how many late 80's VM diesel powered RRC's still exist in the UK, or at least those associated with LandyZone.
My reason being is that about 3 years ago now an old mate of mine bought a badly rusted neglected VM powered classic that ran and we pulled the engine out and transplanted it into his old '85 V8 Deefer County, the V8 had had it's chips and with the cost of fuel here the diesel was a prospect for keeping the County on the road.
When we did the transplant I was trying to get info from other LR forums about the VM in Australia and the USA, most respondents said we were nuts to even consider the VM, that they were rubbish, three years and 120,000 Klm later that old VM is still running and regularly doing 4,000 klm return trips to see friends in Brisbane, the VM has never been reco'd to our knowledge and will have done in excess of 350,000 klm by now in it's total life in two vehicles, the original LT77 gearbox and viscous transfer blew up eventually after 90,000 in the County and so we did some mods and fitted an LT77 out of a 93 Disco, other than that and lots of oil leaks it has been a choice that has prolonged the road life of that old County, and it still goes ok, steady pace, but ok, giving reasonable fuel economy.
I don't know for sure, but have assumed that there would have been quite a few VM powered RR in the UK or were they mainly export models, hoping someone here may know if many are still alive and kicking.
 
Wish I still had mine, 2.5 version, pulled like a train and on a 5000 mile trip around France, Andorra and Spain it returned 14.9 mpg towing an 1800kg twin axle caravan. On another trip I cooked the engine in France, again towing, when the radiator blocked with butterfly's and moths. Still got us home with 4 cracked heads and it had picked up on one cylinder. Couldn't get an engine at the time so bought my first P38. Eventually got an engine and gave it to my son. There have been a few on EBay, there was even a 6 cylinder version last year.
 
I had a classic that I transplanted a 2.4 VM into and it was fantastic I travelled all around Europe towing a caravan and returned over 25 mpg will no problems I cant understand why people criticise it If I could transplant one into my p38 to replace the thirsty noisy unreliable Cr-p bmw sh-t I would do it tomorrow
 
Slightly different and I know I'll get shot for it.. but both of my Frontera's had VM engines and I never had a problem with them. Pulled really well and were relatively low maintenance with only the usual oil changes!
 
I was told by a VM expert the problem was air locking and advised me to fit a modification tee piece into the small pipes coming from the radiator and lift the water bottle as landrover fitted it too low to fill the system properly and I never had the slightest bit of trouble. I think it was a fantastic engine
 
eldescans said:
I had a classic that I transplanted a 2.4 VM into and it was fantastic I travelled all around Europe towing a caravan and returned over 25 mpg will no problems I cant understand why people criticise it If I could transplant one into my p38 to replace the thirsty noisy unreliable Cr-p bmw sh-t I would do it tomorrow
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Whatever else the BMW M51 is, it's neither thirsty or unreliable:p
 
Datatek said:
the only problem with the VM was the heads on some of the early one's. the later heads are much stronger and the engines last for ever in boats.
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Funnily enough, my old mate who has the County with the 2.4VM in it recently purchased rather cheaply 3 ex marine VM 6 cylinder engines, they had been removed from prawn trawlers here, in port, to be replaced, not sure if they had major problems or were just worn out, none-the less, we picked them up for bits.
He has partially stripped one engine and found it to have the same bore size, (90mm), the heads are fully compatible with every aspect of the 2.4 VM in the County, pushrods, rockers rocker covers, all that, we still have to check liner lengths etc, but lots of good spares for the 2.4, as far as we can guage, the VM is a "modular" type engine where they just add cylinders and alter the stroke to increase capacity.
In any case we should be able to build at least one complete 6 cylinder motor from the three to transplant into his son's old 6 cylinder petrol series 2 Landy, as we are always looking for projects to keep us "out of the pub", this has great potential, (we are both retired).
It is heartening however, to hear some positive compliments for the VM, over here it seems they never "cut the mustard" with a lot of owners apparently.
I test drove a new demo one in 1988 in Sydney and was most impressed with the little 2.4's performance, we, at the time had owned a '77 RR Classic for many years and Kilometres, a car I loved, so I kept that, but could have possibly been just as happy with the VM powered unit from what I read here.
 
Gazbo said:
Funnily enough, my old mate who has the County with the 2.4VM in it recently purchased rather cheaply 3 ex marine VM 6 cylinder engines, they had been removed from prawn trawlers here, in port, to be replaced, not sure if they had major problems or were just worn out, none-the less, we picked them up for bits.
He has partially stripped one engine and found it to have the same bore size, (90mm), the heads are fully compatible with every aspect of the 2.4 VM in the County, pushrods, rockers rocker covers, all that, we still have to check liner lengths etc, but lots of good spares for the 2.4, as far as we can guage, the VM is a "modular" type engine where they just add cylinders and alter the stroke to increase capacity.
In any case we should be able to build at least one complete 6 cylinder motor from the three to transplant into his son's old 6 cylinder petrol series 2 Landy, as we are always looking for projects to keep us "out of the pub", this has great potential, (we are both retired).
It is heartening however, to hear some positive compliments for the VM, over here it seems they never "cut the mustard" with a lot of owners apparently.
I test drove a new demo one in 1988 in Sydney and was most impressed with the little 2.4's performance, we, at the time had owned a '77 RR Classic for many years and Kilometres, a car I loved, so I kept that, but could have possibly been just as happy with the VM powered unit from what I read here.
Click to expand...
The 2.5 was a better engine performance wise. When they first came out the R?R had a 2.1 and was a right gutless bugger. I remember Clarkson doing a road test in one, put his foot down to overtake something and nothing happened:eek: it never increased speed and he ended up screaming at the car. The 6 cylinder transplant sounds interesting, the company that put them in the Classic (possibly York but my memory isn't what it was, to much time in the pub :)) mounted the radiator lengthways against the inner wing. Keep us informed.:D
 
tomcat59alan said:
The 6 cylinder transplant sounds interesting, the company that put them in the Classic (possibly York but my memory isn't what it was, to much time in the pub :)) mounted the radiator lengthways against the inner wing. Keep us informed.:D
Click to expand...

Something of a cooling challenge, similar to a BL Mini perhaps?
 
We had an '89 Vogue with the 2.5 VM in it. Bloody brilliant engine. A bit noisy compared to a V8, but not in a bad way. And on road performance was far superior to a Tdi with about equal mpg.

Think we had one issue with the drive gear forth the water pump or something. But no major issues and was only sold as an automatic was needed at the time. We owned the VM from 1990 through to 1998/9'ish.

Anyone who slates these engines is an idiot and obviously has no first hand experience with them.
 
Datatek said:
I don't remember a single head but there are lots of different VM engines, I think the one fitted to the Chrysler Voyager in Europe had a single head.
Click to expand...

One of the old marine engines we picked up in that lot of three from the trawlers, it gave the appearance of having a single head, it had a long alloy rocker box on it with "BMW marine"? , (BMW !!!) or something embossed on it, but from there down, heads, block IP etc it was exactly the same six cylinder VM diesel engine as the other two.
That speaks to me of a successful engine design that others want to get their names on, so I guess, as someone else has already said, "those that rubbished these engines had no first hand experience with them."
 
Gazbo said:
One of the old marine engines we picked up in that lot of three from the trawlers, it gave the appearance of having a single head, it had a long alloy rocker box on it with "BMW marine"? , (BMW !!!) or something embossed on it, but from there down, heads, block IP etc it was exactly the same six cylinder VM diesel engine as the other two.
That speaks to me of a successful engine design that others want to get their names on, so I guess, as someone else has already said, "those that rubbished these engines had no first hand experience with them."
Click to expand...
A simple strong reliable engine even if it wasn't at the forefront of modern development.
 
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